Why Gardens Can Be Much More Than A Play Area For Kids

Monday, March 20, 2017

We are always looking for ways for our children to learn when they are at our home. After all, it’s just as much our responsibility to teach our kids as it is their teachers. And it’s letting them down if they spend every evening and weekend in front of the TV or laptop. Therefore, we need to find fun but educational things for them to do while they are at the humble abode. And one thing you should consider is heading outside in the garden with the kids. While a lot of people will think this means their children will just spend hours playing out in the yard, they are wrong. There is so much to do and see in the garden that makes it a great learning experience for kids. In fact, you might be surprised how many skills they pick up from the yard. Therefore, here are some reasons why gardens can be much more than a play area for children.

They can learn more about the wildlife in the garden

If you look around the backyard, there’s so many different bugs and insects to be found. After all, they can live in the flowers and trees around your yard. And with the wealth of wildlife in your yard, it can offer a great learning experience for your kid. After all, they can go around the garden and try and spot the different insects and animals. You could even give them a list and get them to check off which ones they find. And you can then help them to learn more about the different bugs they do find in the garden. After all, teaching them about them will give them a new found knowledge that they can use at school. And also teaching them about wildlife can often make them more respectful to these insects. Just make sure you tell them not to touch them; you don’t want a kid to touch a wasp and get stung! And remember you could always get a pond in the garden if you want kids to get to know about fish. After all, they will be fascinated going up to the pond to watch the fish go about their day. They might even get so fond of them that they call them names and feed them. In fact, fish make a great first pet for your kid! Just make sure a pond is safe in your yard with your child around. After all, you don’t want them to have a nasty fall in the pond when you are not looking!

It can teach them responsibility such as watering the lawn

Another good thing about the garden is it offers a great way to teach some responsibility to your kids. After all, if they don’t currently do much around the house, it’s time to get them to help out in the garden. After all, it can teach them some responsibility which will ensure they are a well-rounded person. And will give them a boost to complete their school work on time. One thing they can help out with is the lawn. After all, it can be a hard job to cut it every week. Therefore, if they are old enough, you should let them help you to mow the lawn to keep it in good order. And asking them to water the plants daily in the summer will ensure they learn some responsibility. Therefore, get them to do jobs around the yard which will be a lot more fulfilling than turning on the game console!

It can teach them healthy eating when growing own vegetables

It’s always a challenge to get your kids to eat a healthy diet. After all, they are more interested in heading for the chocolate cupboard than having a mouthful full of sprouts. But as you know, eating a healthy diet is so important for our kid’s development and future health. And you might be surprised to know that our garden could help our children to take a step in the right direction when it comes to healthy eating. After all, we can grow fruit and vegetables in the backyard which then can finally end up on our kid’s plate. And you will find that if your children have a part in the growing process, they are much more likely to eat it when they are finally ripe. After all, they will be proud of their accomplishment of growing the fruit and veg. And growing your own means you can experiment with all sorts of weird and wonderful fruit. So your kid might try something they have never consumed before! Additionally, teaching them how to grow their own fruit and veg is helping them to become self-reliant which is a great skill they need when they are older.

It can help boost their learning when it comes to science

When it comes to science, a lot of kids will cover subjects like pollination and fertilization in the environment. And with both of these, you can help them to top up their skills and learning by heading out to the garden. After all, you can show your kids how pollination happens by showing them the plants in your garden. And it will give them a wider knowledge, so they understand better when it comes to science at school. Also, you can show them how the plants and grass grow when you water and take care of them. In fact, you can show them how fertilizing a lawn can help it to flourish and stay in good condition. Even if you get a maintenance company out to do it, your kids can watch them working their magic, and it will make it easier for the kids to understand. Therefore, they are much more likely to get a better grade when it comes to their science test!

Gardening can help them to get active in the yard

It’s also a good idea to get your kids to go outside as it’s key to ensuring they get some exercise. After all, in the modern world, it’s harder than ever to get your kids to be active. Especially when they would much rather be playing with toys inside the humble abode. Therefore, getting them to go outside and be active can be great for their physical skills. After all, a run around the garden is bound to get their blood pumping around the body. And they can play a range of sports which will also get them moving. Of course, it doesn’t just have to be playing that gets them active in the garden. Digging and watering plants are also excellent ways to use their muscles to help them to get fit. In fact, tending to the plants can help to boost even little one’s motor skills. Therefore, get them to do some gardening to help them to get more active in their life.

It can help to boost their maths skills when gardening

You might be surprised to know that gardening offers an excellent way to boost your kid’s numeracy skills. And they might start doing much better in math if they do get outside in the garden. For one thing, they will have to use basic counting when it comes to doing any gardening. For example, you might ask them to dig a certain amount of times before putting in seeds. So it will mean they have to count while they are digging which can help them with numbers. And things like filling up the watering can and counting the number of plants they have watered in the garden can boost their maths skills. In fact, letting them work out how old plants are can also be a great way for your kids to do numbers in the garden. Therefore, get out in the yard and let them put their counting to practice!

Activities like watering the plants can encourage teamwork

It’s so important children build good teamwork skills. After all, there will be times at school where they have to work in groups. And it can be a challenge for them if they tend to do things like homework on their own. Therefore, you should encourage them to help you with gardening when you are at home. After all, you will need to work together to ensure you manage to take care of the plants and vegetables. And as they will have to work alongside you, it will teach them the basics of teamwork. Of course, if you have several kids, they can collaborate to ensure they do things like watering the plants. And it will ensure they all get along better. In fact, gardening can often be a great bonding activity for the whole family. Therefore, get outside with the kids to help boost their teamwork skills for school and beyond!

Remember to make sure your garden is a safe area for your kids. After all, the last thing you want is for them to wander outside the back gate, or even get injured by walking into a bush of nettles. Therefore, make sure it’s child-friendly before they do utilize the garden!

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